Stock ing-supporter



(No Model!) P. P. BUTMAN.

STOCKING SUPPORTER. No. 372,401. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

UNITED STATES FRED P. BUTMAN, OF HOLBROOK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDED\VARD H. FENNESSY, OF NEl/VTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STOCKING-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,401, dated November1, 1887.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED P. BUTMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Holbrook, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inStocking-Supporters, of which the following isa full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view ofmy irn proved stockingsupporter applied to the leg of a wearer. Fig. 2is a side elevation of the supporter. Fig. 3 is a section on the line5000 of Fig. 2. Fig. a is a plan of the adjustable fastening-platedetached.

My invention has for its object to provide a neat and effectivestocking-supporter, which can be easily and quickly adj ustcd to thelength of stocking and size of limb of the wearer; and my inventionconsists in the combination,with the strap or piece of webbing whichencircles the leg of the wearer, of a fastening plate or holder having atransverse slot and a diagonal slo through which the webbing passes andby means of which the pendent portion, to which the stocking isattached, is held securely at a right angle to the leg-encirclingportion, and made adjustable in length, as hereinafter more particularlyset forth.

My invention also consists in certain combinations of parts and detailsof construction, as hereinafter set forth and specifically claimed.

In the said drawings, A represents a strap or single continuous piece ofelastic webbing of sufiicient length to form both the portion 1), whichencircles the leg of the wearer, and the pendent portion 0, to the lowerend of which is secured a clasp, d, or other suitable attaching device,adapted to engage with and hold the upper edge of the stocking, as seenin Fig. 1.

B is an ornamental sheet-metal plate or holder, of the form shown, oneend of which is provided with two transverse slots, e f, through whichone end, 5, of the webbing A is passed in the manner shown, whereby itis held securely in place and made adjustable to vary the length of theleg-encircling portion b by drawing it through the said slots 6 fin awell-known manner. At the opposite end of the plate B is a singletransverse slot, 9, and extending diagonally across the plate B at anangle of about forty-five degrees is a slot, 71.

The strap or webbing A passes up through the slot 9, thence over theouter face of the plate B and down through the diagonal slot h, and bymeans of this diagonal slot h the end of the strap which forms thependent portion 0 is caused to assume a position at right angles to theleg-encircling portion 1) and within the encircling portion, whereby theleg of the wearer is protected against any abrasion from the edge of theplate, and the pendent portion 0 is readily adjustable, having to bedrawn through only two slots instead of three, as shown in formerpatents, the two slots 9 7L causing it to be held securely in placewithout liability of slip when the supporter is on the leg of thewearer, while the webbing can be easily slid through these two slots 9h, to vary the length of the pendent portion 0 in accordance with thelength of the leg of the stocking worn, and after the length of thependent portion 0 has been adjusted the length of the leg-encirclingportion 1) may be varied independently of the pendent portion by slidingthe end 5 of the webbing A within the slots of, thereby adjusting it tofit the smaller portion of the leg below the knee comfortably, andwithoutrequiring any compression to hold it in place, thus insuringfreedom of action to the cords and muscles of the leg, while if theattaching device at the end of the pendent portion 0 should accidentallybecome unfastened from the upper edge of the stocking the legencirclingportion 1) would remain in place upon the leg, without slipping downthereon.

The abovedescribed stocking-supporter has no sharp points, corners,edges, or projections to wear and tear the clothing, as the plate orweb-holder B lies smoothly against the inner flat portion of the legimmediately beneath the knee, while the diagonal slot h insures thependent portion 0 being always in a proper position for use, and, inconnection with the trans verse slot 9, affords a simple and convenientmeans of adjustment, as before described.

I am aware that a slotted plate for a stocking-supporter is not broadlynew, and Ido not claim such as my invention, the same being shown in thepatent to Anderson, No. 245,761.

What I claim as my invention, anddesiret secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a stocking-supporter, the combination,

IO with a strap or piece of webbing'which encir- 15th day of August, 15

